Kwabena Barning : SGS, A Company Providing Services to Key Sectors in Côte d’Ivoire

Kwabena Barning, Regional MD – Francophone West Africa, talks about the activities of SGS in Côte d’Ivoire.

“SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company, with more than 95,000 employees. SGS operates a network of over 2,400 offices and laboratories around the world. We have been in business for over 140 years. We have an excellent geographical footprint. We also operate in 11 distinct global industries. We offer a global service using local expertise. There are a number of benefits associated with the services that we offer: quality, safety, reduced risks, speed to market, trust, and sustainability. In everything we do, we are trying to bring those benefits to the client and the communities where we operate. We have been in Côte d’Ivoire since the 1950s and are proud to have maintained uninterrupted service. This demonstrates the importance that we attach to Côte d’Ivoire. We currently have three distinct business entities, with a staff complement of about 800 employees. We operate across 50 different sites in Côte d’Ivoire. Currently, we operate in the agri and food sector, which is a unique sector for us. We also operate in the chemicals sector, construction, mining, oil and gas, the public sector, and transportation. Côte d’Ivoire is an economy that has a great deal of potential, which is why we have made a commitment to continue to invest in key industries, geographies, as well as in our people, so that they will help us with the same growth trajectory that we have managed for ourselves over the years. Côte d’Ivoire is a very welcoming country. The government is very supportive of the private sector. The region holds quite a lot of growth potential. It is among the fastest growing economies on the continent. Clearly, it is a preferred investment destination and we will continue to invest in key sectors and in our people”, says Kwabena Barning.